Heavy rain in northern Vermont leads to washed out roads and rescues

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (AP) — Heavy rain early Tuesday washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl.

Some areas got 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) of rain starting late Monday and saw flash flooding, the National Weather Service in Burlington said. Flash flood warnings were in effect through Tuesday morning.

Most of the rain fell in St. Johnsbury and surrounding areas, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Montpelier, the state capital.

“We sent swift water rescue teams to the area overnight, and those teams conducted approximately two dozen rescues,” Mark Bosma, a spokesperson for the Vermont Emergency Management agency, said in an email.

Bosma said Lyndon and St. Johnsbury sustained damage, but that the agency was waiting for more information to come in from those communities and others.

There was no immediate word of injuries.

More rain was possible Tuesday, the agency said.

“Be ready for more heavy rain and potential flash flooding today. The areas impacted by last night’s storm are in the path of highest risk,” it posted online.

Sections of two major roads near St. Johnsbury were closed to due flooding, the state transportation agency posted.

The state experienced major flooding earlier in July from the tail end of Hurricane Beryl. The flooding destroyed roads and bridges and inundated farms. It came exactly a year after a previous bout of severe flooding hit Vermont and several other states.